10 days of war: How the Iran conflict is becoming a global crisis

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "10 Days of War: How the Iran Conflict is Becoming a Global Crisis"

The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim
Release Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Sky News

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Overview

This episode, recorded on day 11 of the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, sees Yalda Hakim reporting from Qatar and Richard Engel from Tel Aviv. They dive deeply into the rapidly escalating conflict, focusing on the profound regional impact beyond the main warring parties. The discussion weaves frontline reporting, exclusive interviews (including with Qatar's Prime Minister), and incisive listener questions to dissect the military, political, and human dimensions of the conflict—including the devastating effects on civilians and regional economies, the entanglement of global powers, deepfake misinformation, and the complicated realities around “boots on the ground.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Globalization of the Iran Conflict

• Region Dragged In: Despite attempts at neutrality, Gulf states like Qatar and the UAE have been drawn into direct conflict, with missile and drone strikes hitting civilian and economic infrastructure (05:15–08:30).

• Shattering Illusions of Safety: Traditionally seen as ultra-secure, Gulf urban centers (Doha, Dubai, Riyadh) have experienced unprecedented attacks, profoundly unsettling residents and damaging global perceptions (07:20–08:30).

• Diplomatic Fallout: Gulf leadership feels betrayed by Iran despite attempts at mediation. Qatar, in particular, expresses shock at being targeted so early in the conflict (08:30–09:24).

  Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Qatari Prime Minister (08:30):
  “There's a big sense of betrayal… We were helping Iran and United States in reaching diplomatic solutions. But this miscalculation by the Iranians to attack the Gulf countries has destroyed everything, actually destroyed everything.”

2. Deepfake Misinformation and Media Responsibility

• Personal Impact: Both hosts have fallen victim to deepfakes, with false images circulating online (01:46–02:13).

• Broader Dangers: Deepfakes create confusion, manipulate public perception, and can destabilize already fraught situations, especially amid war (02:13–03:50).

  Richard Engel (02:13):
  “The whole Internet that people rely on is just totally polluted with deepfakes and garbage, and it's bad… It’s a very, very bad precedent. But welcome to the world we're in…”

3. Civilian Casualties and the Human Toll

• Day-One Tragedy: Both hosts return repeatedly to the US strike (likely American, though officially denied) that killed over 170 people—mostly children—in a girls’ school in Iran (03:50, 29:08–31:28).

• Emotional Testimony: Yalda shares harrowing personal observations from the scene, underscoring the lasting trauma of such events.

  Yalda Hakim (29:08):
  “There’s one image of a little boy in the third grade who looks back… and that’s the last time his mother sees her child… They went to school that morning and they never came back home. I just, I’ve struggled with that all week.”

4. Regional & Global Politics

US, Israel, and Gulf Relations

• Collateral Damage: The gulf region’s economies, especially tourism and energy, face ruinous consequences, sparking widespread resentment (10:10–11:42).
• Public Sentiment: Many locals feel that the US and Israel have both escalated the situation and failed to protect regional allies (11:42–12:23).

Iran’s Succession and Power Dynamics

• New Ayatollah's Impact: The sudden ascent of Mushtaba Khamenei, with suspicions of nepotism and lack of religious credentials, is explained—including his more hardline stance since succession (12:31–17:28).

  Richard Engel (12:57):
  “It’s very awkward for their own system that they overthrew a hereditary monarchy and are now having another hereditary leader. And many in Iran and Iraq are accusing the Iranians of hypocrisy here…”

"Boots on the Ground"—US and Israeli Intentions

• Reluctance vs. Preparation: Trump administration’s ambivalence is countered by tough rhetoric and preparatory signals from both US and Israeli military leadership (17:28–19:52).

• Exclusive Interview: Benny Gantz, former Israeli defense minister, confirms that “all options are on the table,” including the (possible) deployment of ground forces (18:38–18:56).

  Benny Gantz (18:38):
  “I would not exclude it for those reasons or other, but we'll have to see how it goes forward.”

The Kurdish Factor & Proxy Wars

• Kurds as a Tipping Point: Discussion on the risks of US/Israeli arming of the Kurds in Iran—a move seen as potentially sparking a wider civil war inside Iran (20:58–23:45).

  Richard Engel (21:28):
  “If you arm one ethnic group by a foreign power and you send them to attack another ethnic group… that is by definition a civil war. So it is a very, very risky strategy…”

5. Russia, China, and Strategic Implications

• Russia's Opportunity: With Gulf energy exports disrupted, Russia sees a chance to regain leverage in the global energy market. Regional instability pushes up defense spending and shifts supply chains (25:30–29:04).

• Ukraine’s Unexpected Leverage: Ukraine’s innovation in cheap drone defense technologies has positioned it as a surprise beneficiary, now supplying essential defense products to Gulf states (25:30–29:04).

  Yalda Hakim (25:30):
  “What the Ukrainians have done is develop those Toyota Corollas… [interceptors] that you all now need. So it makes me think … when President Trump said to Zelensky, you know, you don’t have any cards. Well, turns out the Ukrainians do have cards.”

• China’s Calculus: Yalda argues that China’s approach to Taiwan is unaffected by current US wars; Xi will act on his own timeline, without “waiting for permission” from the international community (29:04–29:50).

6. Narrative and Political Spin on Civilian Deaths

• Contested Blame: Despite mounting forensic evidence, Trump and administration officials insist that Iran was behind the deadly school strike—contradicted by reporting and weapons analysis (31:28–33:20).

  Donald Trump (31:41):
  “No. In my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran.”

  Richard Engel (33:20): “Despite a lot of evidence… that the US was responsible for this attack, this deadly strike… it was being used by the Americans at the time. So pretty conclusive evidence that it was in fact the United States…”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On deepfakes and digital misinformation:

  “Serious consequences here… the whole Internet is just totally polluted with deepfakes and garbage… It’s a very, very bad precedent.”
  — Richard Engel (02:13)

• On Gulf states' sense of betrayal:

  “We were helping Iran and United States in reaching diplomatic solutions…but this miscalculation by the Iranians to Attack the Gulf countries has destroyed everything.”
  — Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed (08:30)

• On civil-military balance in Iran:

  “It’s very awkward… they overthrew a hereditary monarchy and are now having another hereditary leader… Many are accusing the Iranians of hypocrisy here.”
  — Richard Engel (12:57)

• On the devastation of war on civilians:

  “A school full of children hit…backpacks, bloodied… they went to school that morning and they never came back home.”
  — Yalda Hakim (29:08)

• On the risk of proxy wars with Kurds:

  “If you arm one ethnic group by a foreign power… that is by definition a civil war. Very, very risky…”
  — Richard Engel (21:28)

• On the real winners of the war:

  “It makes me think about, when President Trump said to Zelensky, you know, you don’t have any cards. Well, turns out the Ukrainians do have cards…”
  — Yalda Hakim (25:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02–01:46: Introductions, deepfake controversy, and setting the scene
• 03:50–04:44: Civilian strike on girls’ school, opening discussion on civilian toll
• 05:15–09:24: Yalda’s interview with Qatari PM; Gulf states hit, feelings of betrayal
• 10:10–12:23: Listener question on regional anger at US/Israel, economic/familiar fallout
• 12:31–17:28: Role and significance of Iran’s new Ayatollah
• 17:28–19:52: US/Israeli perspectives on ground invasion; Benny Gantz interview
• 20:58–23:45: The Kurdish question & civil war risk
• 25:30–29:04: Geopolitics: Russia, Ukraine, and military innovation
• 29:08–31:28: Graphic detail on civilian tragedy and emotional reflections
• 31:28–33:20: Trump administration deflects blame on civilian casualties
• 34:00–End: Wrap-up; promise to cover Lebanon in a future episode

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Conclusion

This episode offers a sobering, firsthand account of how a conflict ostensibly between a few nations has rapidly metastasized into a global crisis, with profound human and economic consequences. The insights shared—spanning political intrigue, frontline suffering, and high-level interviews—equip listeners with a nuanced understanding that moves well beyond the headlines.

For further updates and questions, keep tuning in every Wednesday.

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Transcript

[Yalda Hakim]

Sky News, the full story first. Hello, it's Yalda, and I'm currently in Qatar.

[Richard Pallardy]

And me, Richard, and I'm in Tel Aviv. So, President Trump has signaled that this war with Iran will soon be over, while his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, says the most intense days of the war are still coming. The Iranians say they will decide when the war is over and there's a new ayatollah in power. We are recording on day 11 of the war, and, as always, so much to talk about. Welcome to the World podcast.

[Donald Trump]

We're achieving major strides toward completing our military objective, and some people could say they're pretty well complete. We've wiped every single force in Iran out very completely.

[Richard Pallardy]

We're crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force. We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated.

[Neil Patterson]

Boots on the ground in Iran.

[Richard Pallardy]

Are you afraid of a US Invasion in your country? No, we are waiting for them.

[Yalda Hakim]

So, Richard, I hope you're well, but according to the Internet, you're very unwell, and we have both become now victims of deep fakes, something I know that really, you know, gives you anxiety and pause whenever you think about deep fakes and AI, and frankly, it should do for all of us. But I can report that you look well, and from what I understand, you are well.

[Richard Pallardy]

Very well. Thank you. And, yeah, it's scary. I don't know why. I don't know who did it. I don't know. But there's all these reports on the Internet. I just saw a photograph of me laying on my back in a hospital bed with tubes and Mary, my wife, looking lovingly in my eyes as if this is some sort of final moment. Totally not true, Mary. Her only comment was, you know, I don't think my nose looks good in that photo. So nobody's freaking out on this. I'm not freaking out. Mary's not freaking out. But there's serious consequences here, because let's say there was a situation. Let's say I was hurt and. Or you were hurt, or there's a real situation, as there are real situations every single day. And now the whole Internet that people rely on is just totally polluted with deepfakes and garbage, and it's bad. And some reason they don't want to. They either want me dead or to sow doubt or just confuse people. It's a very, very bad precedent. But welcome to the world we're in, which, if I can plug the show, this is not fake. This is not An AI thing. The two of us are really talking right now. In the last episode, we used a lot of your brilliant questions to guide us through and that's what we're going to do again today we' got Yalda's exclusive interview with the Qatari Prime Minister. More on the new Ayatollah, Russia and China's involvement in the war and whether we might see American boots on the ground.

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah, lots to talk about in terms of American boots on the ground. I've been having a lot of conversations around that. And Richard, something that I really just can't get out of my head is what happened on the first day of the US Israeli campaign in Iran when they. We understand now that it was probably an American strike that killed over 175 people, the bulk of them school children, a girls school that was hit. So I want to talk a little bit more about that. So let's get going. And of course hit follow wherever you are listening to our podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel, which is linked in this episode.

[Richard Pallardy]

So Yalda, let's tackle some of these questions, a lot of good ones. One of the listeners on Spotify commented on the episode saying, I'm watching Yalda in Doha, but how she was in Jerusalem a day ago. How did she manage to get there? And you interviewed the Qatari Prime Minister. So tell us about that and tell us about the logistics. We keep hearing all these stories that everybody in the Middle east is trapped and, and you're moving around from place to place and how is it working?

[Yalda Hakim]

So, yeah, I was in Jerusalem and we basically got ourselves here to do the interview with the Qatari Prime Minister. And basically, you know, he was the first person from this region to come out and talk about the fact that they were dealing with a barrage of missiles and drones and had been dragged into this conflict by the Iranians. You know, last Saturday when this war began, this region, the residents of this region were furious at the United States and Israel. By the evening, they were furious at Iran because they had basically started to hit civilian infrastructure. Luxury hotels, airports, desalination plants. I mean, they've done a lot of destruction. And what's angered the leadership here across the GCC is the fact that they're saying we don't buy this whole thing with the Iranians, that they're just hitting military installations and bases. They are going after civilian infrastructure. They are going after Qatari or Emirati or infrastructure from Bahrain. This isn't just directed at Americans and American bases.

[Richard Pallardy]

And Qatar was trying to Negotiate a peace deal. The Prime Minister you spoke to, I think we have a clip lined up from that was one of the key people not only who helped negotiate the ceasefire between Hamas and the United States and Israel, but he was trying to help prevent this war from starting and then suddenly his capital is attacked. And if you've been to Doha, it's a city that is full of glass towers and things that are vulnerable to drones. It's not a city of bunkers with underground. It was built to be beautiful and air conditioned and modern, not to withstand wave after wave of attacks. And the same could be said about Riyadh and Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City all being hit right in the heart of their of their capitals.

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah. And the thing is Richard, as you know, and you've spent a lot of time in this region as well, you know, the Gulf states like to present themselves as the safest places on the planet. You know, these are places where people can live tax free, they can work and feel very safe. You know, so many people, very little

[Richard Pallardy]

to no crime really.

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah, I mean I know so many people who say, you know, I don't want to live in London, I'd rather live in Dubai because you know, my phone won't get stolen. So you hear this sort of thing, suddenly they're dealing with missiles and drones. And the other thing with the Qataris is they like to present themselves as abridge mediators, the world's mediators who are putting out fires and dealing with global crises. And they have had open diplomatic channels with the Iranians. When the Iranian regime faced global isolation, Qatar was one of the few states on the planet still talking to them, still talking to the Americans, trying to bring all of these sides together. Suddenly they're dealing with, you know, themselves being attacked. Let's just have a listen to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, the Qata Prime Minister.

[Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani]

There's a big sense of betrayal and this is the second time. That's why it's also like for us it's been something really significant to see the attack which was showing that being pre planned like once the war started, just maybe an hour after the start of the war, Qatar and other Gulf countries being attacked right away. And all of us before this war and repeatedly we've been saying and repeating that we are not going to take part of any attacks or any wars against our neighbors. We would like to see a peaceful neighborhood. We were helping Iran and United States in reaching diplomatic solutions. But this miscalculation by the Iranians to Attack the Gulf countries, has destroyed everything, actually destroyed everything.

[Richard Pallardy]

He was trying to build bridges and he says Iran just burned them down. So, Yalda, we have a really interesting question. So it's another question, this one from Alyssa Listener, and I think you should answer that one since you are there. This one from Simon via email. Dear Richard and Yalda, I've been listening to your wonderful podcast. Thank you. From Dubai, every week since it was launched. My question is, do you believe that Trump and Netanyahu owe this region an apology? We have been dragged into a conflict that we didn't want and which will cost the region billions of dollars for some years to come. I work in the tourist industry, which is all but collapsed and will take many months to even after this war is over. Yalda, thoughts?

[Yalda Hakim]

I just want to give you a snapshot of the fact that the Emiratis signed the Abraham Accord. They normalized relations with Israel, they have very good relationship with Israel. And yet in the last few days, the Jerusalem Post published a story basically saying that their sources were saying that the Emiratis, the uae, launched some strikes within Iran. Right. Suddenly, you know, the phones were ringing off the hook and everyone was sort of saying, oh, my God, has the UAE now entered this war? Have they gone from a defensive position to an offensive position where they're now retaliating for the strikes that they've been dealing with? I contacted someone quite high up in the UAE government, very close to mbz, the Emir of Abu Dhabi. And I said, what's your reaction to this? Have you guys done this? And they said, this is coming right from the very top. Could you please, you know, put this statement out there, which I did, which was that Israel needs to be incredibly careful about spreading fake news and spreading fake news about friends, essentially. So it just gives you a sense of the anger, the fury that this region feels. Sheikh Mohammed said it in the interview that I did with him. We don't want this war. This war has nothing to do with us.

[Richard Pallardy]

We have American base against Iran, anger against Israel. Is that what you're saying? And the United States.

[Yalda Hakim]

Absolutely. I think there is a lot of anger in this region about how they have come into the crosshairs of Iran and the United States and Israel are not de escalating this situation, rather than de escalating, they're escalating the situation. And even though Sheikh Mohammed said we need to come back to the negotiating table, we need to have renewed negotiation, at this point in time, there doesn't seem to be an off ramp. And the Rhetoric, things like President Trump saying, saying, you know, we want total surrender and the Iranians saying we can fight for another six months. That is not language. Which shows that this situation is on the path of de. Escalation.

[Richard Pallardy]

Yeah. So, Simon, I'm, I'm a little worried that your tourism business is going to take a bit of a hit for some time to come.

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah. So, Richard, there's also a new Ayatollah. A lot of questions about that and, you know, which direction this war and Iran is going in by, by putting in the role of supreme leader. This one's from Sarah in Kent, who wrote to us via email and she says, hi, Richard and Yalda. What does the new Ayatollah mean for the conflict? Does it mean that the regime isn't going anywhere? Thank you. Do you want to take that one?

[Richard Pallardy]

So you have to understand the new Ayatollah within the context of the theocracy that is in, in Iran. And you have to understand a little bit of history. It's, it's really important because it's important to them and it means a great deal. So a theocracy that is divided. So you have two governments really in Iran. You've got the clerical regime, which is the Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah, and the Revolutionary Guard, which is to defend the revolution, defend the clerical system. And then you have the civilian government. And it was always supposed to be two systems. This is after the 1979 revolution. So before 1979 revolution, you had a shah, you had a king, an emperor who ran the country initially with a constitutional monarchy, and then as an absolute monarch, he was overthrown. And he was overthrown by the theocracy. Because the idea, the very concept, was that the shah and all humans are fallible. And since God has all the answers, well, let's just put someone who's divinely inspired by God in power. And that was the thinking behind a theocracy. And the initial idea was that there would be these power balance with the religious leaders having the supreme guidance of the country and then the civilian government running day to day affairs. But over time, the civilian government has been pushed aside and the position of the Supreme Leader has become more and more powerful and the Revolutionary Guard have become more and more powerful. There have only been two supreme leaders, or now there's a third. But there had only been two leaders since 1979, Khamenei being the second one. When he died, he didn't have a clear successor. He never named one. And succession is quite clear in the Shia world on how you're supposed to rise up. It's a little bit like the Catholic Church. It's kind of they have a conclave. They gather other religious leaders together, and they're supposed to pick among them. And like in the Catholic Church, there are ranks, and you can be either a priest or a bishop or a cardinal all the way up to the Pope. Now, the. And it's not supposed to be hereditary. It's very awkward for their own system that they overthrew a hereditary monarchy and are now having another hereditary leader. And many in Iran and Iraq are accusing the Iranians of hypocrisy here, saying, this can't be divinely inspired. You went for your son. That's just like all the other authoritarian leaders in the world who want to replace themselves with their son. He also doesn't have the same religious rank that his father did. His father who was assassinated, Ayatollah Khamenei, was an ayatollah. Now, ayatollah means something. It's not just the title. It's a degree of religious learning. And the son, Mushtaba, who's just taken over, wasn't even a hujat Islam, which is the next revel down, level down. So he effectively got two promotions, which is dubious. And he took over from his father in a hierarchical system, which is not supposed to be in place if you're trying to be inspired by God. So there are many questions, even within the Islamic system about why he was in fact selected. And he's not universally popular in Iran. He has close ties with the Revolutionary Guard. And based on what we've seen so far, he is pursuing, if anything, an even more hardline policy from his father, because shortly after he was elected by this council, the missile started flying against the Gulf and against Israel. So, Yalda, one of the things that's getting a lot of attention, particularly in the United States, is will there be boots on the ground? Will American troops go to Iran to fight this war? A lot of Americans are concerned about this because they saw what happened in Iraq. You've been doing some reporting on that. What have you learned?

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah, I mean, Richard, as you say, especially the foreign policy establishment in the United States, you know, are allergic to what happened in Iraq. They have memory. And therefore, you know, this idea of American boots on the ground when Donald Trump was elected, based on ending forever wars and, you know, not sending young American men and women to the front lines in faraway places where, you know, frankly, they shouldn't be. And we've Seen the MAGA base talk about this, the likes of Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owen. All of these people are coming out, you know, distressed about the fact that Donald Trump is now saying that all options are on the table. Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, said the same thing. And last week when I was in Jerusalem, I did an interview with Benny Gantz. Now, Benny Gantz, you know, is a member of the Knesset. He is a prominent politician in Israel, also the former Defense Minister of the country. And I did this interview with him where I asked about boots on the ground. And again, he re reiterated that all options were on the table. Do you think eventually there will be a need for boots on the ground?

[Benny Gantz]

I would not exclude it for those reasons or other, but we'll have to see how it goes forward.

[Yalda Hakim]

And will that include Israeli boots on the ground, do you think?

[Benny Gantz]

I exclude nothing. We've been waiting for 47 years. And we came to a point with every, every necessary means should be taken.

[Yalda Hakim]

One of my sources within the security establishment in Israel sent me this quite extraordinary letter, was in Hebrew, and I had it translated. It was a letter from Israel's Air Force commander to his personnel. And within it, buried deep within that letter, and so you really have to look for it, there was a line which basically said, the fighters of the Air Force's special units are currently carrying out extraordinary missions that surpass imagination. Right now, that wording alone does not say that there are Israeli boots on the ground, but when, when you translate it and you speak to insiders who understand the nuances of language, Air Force special units means the commandos, means the special unit who do you know, get down on the ground and conduct special operations, not from the air, but their boots on the ground.

[Richard Pallardy]

Which is very different than Iraq sending a mass occupation force to take over the government, run Baghdad, run the police, reorganize the government, organize elections, build semi permanent bases on former palaces, and be there for years and years. President Trump says he's not going to do that. And Hegseth looks back at that with great disgust. And he's always talking about how stupid that was. But there are quite a few parallels in that. The biggest issue with Iraq was that the country collapsed into civil war. So the regime was toppled. American troops went in there. It was sort of peaceful for the first year or so as people were surprised and legitimately happy that Saddam Hussein was gone. And then the Americans, I think, realized they were in way over their heads. I remember speaking to American troops who had basically no idea where they were they didn't know the difference between Sunni and Shia and the Kurds and didn't understand exactly the mission.

[Yalda Hakim]

Yeah. So we have actually a question on this, Richard, which I'd like you to answer from someone called Web Motown via email. With the Kurds forming, supported by Israeli and American arms, can this be the tipping point or exit ramp that Trump needs to get his win? Help us understand. You know, it's kind of like this phrase, the Kurds that people are using. You know, just give us some context, because it's not just the Kurds. They're. They're, you know, the Kurds aren't just one community.

[Richard Pallardy]

No, the Kurds are an ethnic group. And when the Middle east was divided out of the debris of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of World war and the Kurds and the Palestinians didn't get states, they were divided into several different countries with these new artificial borders. So there are many Kurds in Iraq, northern Iraq, Kurds in Turkey, lots of Kurds in Turkey, lots of Kurds in Iran, Kurds in Armenia. But they got divided across different borders. They have always wanted their own state, state, and they have always tried to unite these little Kurdish pockets that got separated, and they have been empowered quite a few times. When the US President Bush invaded Iraq, the Kurds used that chaos to carve out a little regional enclave for themselves in northern Iraq. When Syria collapsed into civil war, the Kurds, Kurds carved out a place that they could call home where they could speak Kurdish. Because, by the way, when they were divided in all these countries, the Kurds were persecuted because they were always seen as outsiders who want to break away and who want their own autonomy. So they were always treated with suspicion and sometimes outright oppression by the countries they were in. Now, there are also Kurds in Iran. And one of the Kurds theories that's going on, and one of the reports is that the Trump administration is going to arm the Kurds and use them as a fighting force to try and topple the Iranian regime within, use them as a proxy army. But not only is that risk causing a civil war, and I've spent a lot of time with the Kurds. I have deep, many Kurdish friends and deep, deep sympathy for their cause. But if you arm one ethnic group by a foreign power and you send them to attack another ethnic group in a country, that is by definition a civil war. So it is a very, very risky strategy if the US does decide to pursue this.

[Yalda Hakim]

Let's take a quick break, and when we come back, we've got Some questions on China and Russia and their involvement in the.

[Donald Trump]

Your country's in big trouble.

[Neil Patterson]

The world is a pretty confusing place right now.

[Richard Pallardy]

How long have you known about Andrew and X Stick?

[Neil Patterson]

I'm Neil Patterson, and after 20 years reporting and presenting for Sky News, one thing's become clear. People don't just want to know what's happened. They want to know why. Our new daily podcast takes one story at a time, explains what's really going on and why. You need to know. This is why. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Richard Pallardy]

Welcome back to the World podcast. So we've had several questions on what China and Russia are doing as the war with Iran rages on. Let's take this one from Kadam via email because it's a great question. And why don't you take this one, Yalda? Dear Richard and Yalda, I hope you are both safe on the ground. We are. Thank you. I am curious about the potential trigger points that could draw Russia or China into a more direct involvement in the current conflict. Do you see Russia materially supporting either side in this ongoing war, despite the war with Ukraine? And from China's perspective, could escalating instability, influence calculations regarding Taiwan, or are these theaters largely separate?

[Yalda Hakim]

Well, you know, Richard, I've been thinking a lot about who the winners and losers of this particular conflict are. And from the Gulf perspective, they're losers in this. They've somehow been dragged in, their energy infrastructure hit and targeted. Qatar here is, you know, produces 20% of the world's gas production. They've stopped production fertilizer, which, you know, does impact food security. That has been impacted. So there are global ramifications. And for the Gulf states, they're concerned, I think, that perhaps the, the winners of this conflict could be Russia and Ukraine. Now, the, the reason I say Russia, Ukraine. Yes. And let me get to that. Russia, because you remember at the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, you know, when, when Russia launched its, its attack on Ukraine, there was a lot of conversation and concern that the world and especially the Europeans were so dependent on Russian oil and gas and they were talking about diversifying and how do we then look at other markets? How do we look at the Gulf, how do we invest more in, say, Qatari gas, for example, when this region has become so vulnerable and we've seen gas production stop, we've seen the Strait of Hormuz and shipping lanes impacted, we've seen how vulnerable this region is and frankly, how much they now need to invest in their defense spending. So Russia will see an Opportunity here for itself and on the defense spending. Why I think that Ukraine will be one of the winners of this is because Ukraine has been so nimble, so agile, so quick on its feet and, and has created industry where they've developed these drone interceptors. Because don't forget, it was Iranian shaheed drones supplied to the Russians targeting major cities across Ukraine. Cheap drones that cost about $35,000. So what have the Ukrainians done? They have created these drone interceptors that are cheap, the production is fast. I've explained this to someone as these interceptors, when we talk about the Patriots, for example, or some of other interceptors that the Israelis and Americans, Europeans and everyone has, they're like Lamborghinis. They're expensive, they're difficult to make. It takes a long time to develop them. What you need is a Toyota Corolla. And what the Ukrainians have done is develop those Toyota Corollas. So already we're seeing these Gulf states looking around and thinking, hang on a second. What we have now is a situation where the Americans and the Israelis may say, okay, mission accomplished. We've done what we need to do. We need to leave this theater. And it's what we talked about on the pod last week, this awful phrase mowing the lawn where you would come back in six months time and smash everything up again. The Gulf states now are aware that that may happen. So they're looking around saying, what do we need to do to protect ourselves? And part of that protection is investing in, in further defense spending. And they will be looking at the Ukrainians. And the Ukrainian president has already said, we've got the industry here. We've developed stuff that you all now need. So it makes me think about, you know, when President Trump said to Zelensky, you know, you don't have any cards. Well, turns out the Ukrainians do have cards. They've developed these drone interceptors, and now the world wants access to them.

[Richard Pallardy]

And what about Xi and his calculation vis a vis China?

[Yalda Hakim]

By the way? I don't think President Xi is sitting around thinking, I wonder who the US President is going to be before I mobilize on Taiwan. They're not waiting for international law. They're not waiting to see what happens globally. And what Trump does in Venezuela or Iran, you know, sure, they might be emboldened by it because they think, well, if you can go around and nab the leader of a country, throw him in a prison in New York and get away with it, or if you can go and launch an attack on Iran, well, this is, you know, my God given right. Taiwan belongs to me. So I will do it in my own time. But I don't think the Chinese are waiting for permission or waiting because they're worried about international law or the global dynamics. They'll do it in their own time, just as the Chinese do all of the time. You know, they, they make moves depending on when they're ready. So, Richard, one of the things that just has been so gut wrenching for me, and I'm sure for you, is on the first day of, you know, these strikes being launched in Iran, a facility close to a school was targeted. And what we then found was over 170 people, most of them school children, were killed in this strike. I just can't get the images out of my head. The, the, the backpacks, the bloodied backp, you know, the school tables, the images of these little girls. There's one image of a little boy in the third grade who looks back, you know, at the top of his stairs and waves goodbye to his mom on that morning and, you know, she takes this image of him and that's the last time that his mother sees her child, a little boy in the third grade. I mean, it just reminds you that in these conflicts, you know, we talk about the number of munitions that get dropped, the oil refineries that get hit, the sort of targets that each side has, but the human toll in these wars. And you and I know this because we spend so much time in the field speaking to people. When you see it, you know, up close and personal, and a school full of children hit, they went to school that morning and they never came back home. I just, I've struggled with that all week.

[Richard Pallardy]

And President Trump came out strongly saying it wasn't us, it was 100% Iran.

[Reporter questioning Trump]

Did the United States bomb a girl's elementary school so that Iran, the first day of the war, killed 170?

[Donald Trump]

No. In my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran.

[Reporter questioning Trump]

Is that true, Mr. Hickson? It was Iran who did that.

[Richard Pallardy]

We're certainly investigating, but the only, the only side that targets civilians is Iran.

[Donald Trump]

We think it was done, we think it was done by Iran because they're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.

[Richard Pallardy]

And then yesterday in a press conference when President Trump was somewhat retroactively explaining why he went to war without congressional approval, he was saying that there was a imminent strike from, from Iran, that Iran was about to, about to weeks away from having a Nuclear weapon. Although there's no intelligence that I've seen or scientific evidence or any scientist I've ever spoken to who suggests that that is, that was possible or happening. He was asked directly about this issue by the New York Times, by a reporter who pushed him on it.

[Reporter questioning Trump]

You just suggested that Iran somehow got its hands on a Tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war. But you're the only person in your government saying this. Even your defense secretary wouldn't say that when he was asked, standing over your shoulder on your plane on Saturday. Why are you the only person saying this?

[Donald Trump]

Because I just don't know enough about it. I think it's something that I was told is under investigation. But Tomahawks are used by others. As you know, numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us. But I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I'm willing to live with that report.

[Richard Pallardy]

So despite a lot of evidence, increasing evidence that the US Was responsible for this, for this attack, this deadly strike, and no one is suggesting that the US did this deliberately, but a Tomahawk missile, there's a photograph of a Tomahawk missile mid flight, heading right for the area next to the school. It's pretty strong evidence. And several weapons experts were interviewed by NBC News News, not only geolocated, but also said, yes, that's a tomahawk. It was used by the Americans. It was being used by the Americans at the time. So pretty conclusive evidence that it was in fact the United States that fired this weapon and was responsible for the deaths of so many people. We do seem to have lost Yalda. It comes with the business. I've been lost mid show before. So before we wrap up, I just want to say to everyone out there who's been listening, who's noticed we haven't been talking about Lebanon. It is not because we don't care. It is a ferociously important story, is an expanding part of this war. It is so important that we want to address it separately because it's complicated and it has the potential to last even longer than the war at the moment between the U.S. israel and Iran. So from Yalda and from me, thank you very much for, for listening. Thank you for all of your questions. Let's keep, keep them coming. We're going to keep this going. We love answering your questions. Subscribe and thank you very much. We hope you enjoyed the show.

[Donald Trump]

Your country's in big trouble.

[Neil Patterson]

The world is a pretty confusing place right now. How long have you known about Andrew and X. I'm Neil Patterson, and after 20 years reporting and presenting for Sky News News, one thing's become clear. People don't just want to know what's happened. They want to know why. Our new daily podcast takes one story at a time, explains what's really going on and why. You need to know. This is why. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.